Two LSU WRs on ESPN's Way-Too-Early CFB All-America team

ESPN released its Way-Too-Early College Football 2025 All-American teams on Monday and included two new LSU Tigers on the list, further shedding spotlight on the awesome transfer portal haul from Brian Kelly this offseason. Coming off of a disappointing season, Kelly got quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to return and surrounded him with even more weapons to reshape the offense and people across the country have taken notice.

Here are the two potential preseason All-Americans, plus my pitch for two more.

Second-Team Wide receiver: Nic Anderson, LSU

Brune’s Take: Anderson missed virtually the entire season in 2024 due to a quadriceps injury, but before that, he was outright elite at Oklahoma in 2023. He ended that season with 798 yards and 10 touchdowns on 38 receptions, proving himself as an incredible big-play weapon at over 20 yards per reception. Anderson is a 6-foot-4 monster athlete out of Katy, Texas and will be a key contributor for the Tigers this season as Garrett Nussmeier gets a potential WR1 from the portal.

First-Team Returner: Barion Brown, LSU

“Brown transferred to LSU in the offseason after rolling up 3,273 all-purpose yards at Kentucky over the past three seasons. He’s the Wildcats’ recordholder for career kickoff return average (30.3 yards) and leads active players nationally with five kickoff returns for touchdowns, the most of any player in SEC history. Brown has elite speed and will also factor prominently at receiver for LSU.” – ESPN

Brune’s Take: When watching Brown’s film as a receiver, it’s fascinating to see all the ways he can make plays, from a deep threat to a guy who can catch bubble screens and make them into first downs. He was added from the portal to be an elite receiver at LSU in 2025. However, his ability in the return game is what makes him absolutely unique. Brown has five kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career, a staggering number and has both the agility to get past the first line and the burners to outrun the rest of the coverage team. With him and Zavion Thomas, it’s potentially the best kick/punt return situation in the country.

Who else could have made it?

QB Garrett Nussmeier

Brune’s Take: ESPN put Cade Klubnik on its first team and Arch Manning on its second team for this exercise. While I think Klubnik is an awesome talent, since his days at Westlake High School, I don’t think he’s as talented as Nussmeier and think he had more around him last year than Nussmeier. Klubnik has all of his receivers returning and will be a force as a passer and runner, but he too struggled from inconsistencies last year and has to put it all together. Nussmeier has a new core of receivers and a new offensive line, which could include growing pains, but the arm ability of Nussmeier is what makes him an elite prospect. Now, it’s about putting it all together to show he’s the top QB in the country.

As for Arch Manning, the newcomer has surged to the top of the Heisman odds in Vegas, surpassing Nussmeier this month. I think it’s safe to say he’s going to have a high floor because of his legs and the talent around him, and honestly that may be good enough to win the Heisman if his team goes 12-0, however, from a passing perspective, there’s still a lot we have to learn about the newest Manning and see how he handles adversity. Klubnik and Nussmeier got to learn and grow last year, so having Arch this high is betting on him not having those types of hiccups in his first season as a starter — that’s asking a lot.

LB Whit Weeks

Brune’s Take: I have no problems with the linebackers ESPN put on here: Anthony Hill, Texas, Kyle Louis, Pitt, Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss, among others. I think there’s still another step Weeks has to take this year if he’s going to be an All-American. Primarily in the run game, he made progress, but there were too many times he lost his gap or vision and got washed out. Still, the leap he took from year one to year two was substantial, so what’s stopping another step forward mentally and physically? We know he has the motor and the playmaking instincts to cover every blade of grass and hawk down ball carriers in the open field. After recording 120 tackles last year, he could be in line for even more in 2025.